There are many ways to make a delicious pizza. With pizza ovens like the Ooni Fyra and other wood-fired ovens, you can make exceptional pizza. Plus, when you combine charcoal grills with wood pellets and a pizza stone, it’s just like cooking in an oven.
To make the best pizza, though, you’ll need the best wood pellets. Wood pellets are a great fuel source and enhance the taste of your pizza. For example, you can make your pizza have a smokey flavor or a sweet flavor depending on your personal taste.
Read on to learn about the best wood pellets for pizza ovens below.
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What are Wood Pellets?
Wood pellets are a fuel source for wood-fired pizza ovens. They work best with a wood pellet pizza oven.
Unlike wood chunks, pellets are small and condensed. Typically, wood pellets come as a combination of recycled tree materials.
Common tree materials used for wood pellets include wood chips, tree bark, and oak wood. Wood pellets are best-suited for outdoor pizza ovens like Ooni Frya and smokers. Ultimately, they’re great for barbecues and cooking pizza.
Wood pellets are a great fuel source because they alter the flavor of pizza and are a great heat source that can reach high temperatures. Depending on the type of wood, pellets create a smoky flavor or sweet flavor.
What are the Benefits of Using Wood Pellets?
Wood pellets offer a lot of benefits you won’t find with other fuel sources. What makes them unique is that they have a lower moisture content. Fuel sources with low moisture content produce less ash and smoke.
While there is less smoke and ash, there’s still enough smoke to add flavor to meat, vegetables, or pizza. Wood pellets are also easy to store and contain fewer pollutants than other fuel sources.
Hardwood vs. Softwood Pellets
The two main types of wood pellets you’ll find are hardwood and softwood. Both types of wood pellets have their uses but for pizza, you want to use hardwood pellets.
Hardwood pellets are an excellent choice for pizza because of how the wood burns. While the wood burns hot it doesn’t leave behind too much ash. Additionally, the flame will last longer than softwood flames because it takes longer to burn.
Some common types of hardwood include oak, hickory, and even applewood.
On the other hand, softwood burns hotter and faster, producing more BTUs. It’s for this reason that many pellet blends have softwood pellets mixed in. Softwood does create more ash and smoke, which is not ideal for pizza cooking.
There are a few types of softwood pellets with the most common being cedar, pine, and redwood. Also, softwood is more sappy than hardwood, which increases the moisture content.
Features in Wood Pellets Best for Pizza Ovens
Wood pellets are similar but there are some subtle differences. These subtle differences result in variations in how your pizza tastes, the temperature, smoke, and more. Understanding each of these features will help you choose the best pellets.
Temperature
Temperature is one of the most important features to consider. Make sure you look for wood pellets that produce a high heat burn hot enough to cook pizza. The best temperatures for cooking Pizza vary from 400°F to 900°F.
Some pizzas benefit from longer cooking times at lower temperatures and vice versa. For example, Neapolitan-style pizza is best when cooked for 8-10 minutes but most homemade pizza needs to be cooked for longer. Plus, it’s necessary to cook it with pellets that can burn between 800°F and 1,000°F.
Smoke and Taste
Smoke and taste are also factors you need to consider. We’re grouping smoke and taste because smoke often influences taste. Your choice of wood pellets will influence the overall flavor of your pizza.
Pellets made from wood like oak don’t add much flavor but mesquite wood and other types will add flavor. Mesquite and hickory wood pellets, for example, create smoke that leaves a barbecue-like aftertaste.
On the other hand, wood pellets made from cherry or maple wood have a sweeter taste. Additionally, there are combinations of wood pellets that give a combination of these flavors. Therefore, you get smoky flavors and sweet flavors in one bag sometimes.
Types of Wood Pellets
Several types of wood pellets are available. Each type gives the pizza a unique flavor. However, there are also combination packages that include multiple types of wood.
Mesquite
Mesquite wood is rich in a smoky flavor. When cooking with mesquite wood pizza will have a more barbecue-like flavor. Depending on the type of pizza you’re making, mesquite is an excellent choice.
Keep in mind that the flavor from mesquite might be too overwhelming for pizza. The smoke from it is pretty overwhelming in general.
Oak
Oak wood pellets are the most common for cooking pizza. It works well in most types of pizza ovens. While it works in fancy ovens it’s also great for regular pizza ovens.
Oak wood is suitable for pizza because it has low moisture content and produces a nice smoke flavor. Unlike other wood pellets, you’ll taste a more natural pizza. Overall, it’s perfect for bringing out the taste of tomato sauce and cheese without tainting it.
Maple
Maple wood produces a sweeter type of smoke. It’s for this reason that it’s useful in regular pizza ovens. Unlike mesquite, the smoke creates a sweet, almost fruity flavor.
There are also many types of maple wood pellets, so it’s not a bad idea to mix them. Many blends of wood pellets will include a combination of maple wood and hickory wood.
Cherry
Cherry wood doesn’t produce a cherry-like flavor as the name suggests. Instead, the wood flavor is earthy. The earthy flavor differs from natural smoky flavors produced from oak or mesquite wood.
When we say earthy we mean it. It’s perfect for pizza with vegetable toppings like spinach, broccoli, and more. Furthermore, it brings out the taste of the pizza dough and cheese.
Apple
Applewood produces a sweet smoke flavor that is pretty complex. Similar to cherry it can be great to cold smoke cheese or for smoking pork.
Because it’s a hard wood, applewood burns at hot temperatures and lasts for a long time.
Hickory
Last but not least there are hickory wood pellets. Hickory generally produces a stronger smoke. It maybe isn’t the best for cooking pizza because it creates a lot of smoke.
Still, hickory wood is perfect in some blends and great for pizzas with toppings. The meat absorbs hickory well, which makes it ideal for those chicken-bacon-ranch slices.
Pecan
Pecan wood produces smoke flavors similar to hickory. The difference is the flavor it produces isn’t quite as strong. This is a good choice if you like the flavor of hickory, but don’t want it so potent.
Tips for Cooking with Wood Pellets
Cooking with wood pellets isn’t always easy. Luckily, some quick tips work well for beginners. Ultimately, it comes down to flavor and the type of pellets you use.
Help with Flavor
An important tip when cooking anything is the flavor. Pizza has a unique flavor that doesn’t mesh well with some types of pellets. Moreover, the toppings play a role.
When using a wood-fired oven to make plain pizza, oak pellets are the best. They’re better because the smoke doesn’t produce a lot of flavors.
On the other hand, it’s better to use maple or applewood for pizza with meat-based toppings. The meat absorbs the smoke from wood like hickory and maple.
It’s also possible to give pizza a barbecue-like flavor with mesquite wood. When selecting your pizza keep the type of wood pellets you have in mind.
It’s also worth noting that you can be creative when choosing a flavor. For example, it’s possible to add a nutty flavor with a combination of maple and hickory wood.
Only Cook with Food-Grade Pellets
One of the biggest tips is to cook with food-grade pellets. Food-grade pellets are usually made with oak, maple, or applewood. On the other hand, non-food-grade pellets are typically spruce, pine, and other softwood.
Pellets that aren’t food-grade are known as heating pellets. These pellets are made with different methods that may impact the flavor of pizza.
Food-grade pellets will burn longer and won’t leave behind as much ash as heating pellets. Heating pellets will burn hotter but they produce more smoke, they’re harder to clean, and make pizza taste worse.
Additional Tips
We also have a few smaller tips to help you with the cooking process. We list these tips below.
- Cook with fewer pellets the first time you use your wood-fired oven
- Let the wood pellets preheat before adding the pizza
- Use a pizza stone with six inches of thickness to prevent too much smoke from being absorbed
- Pizza peels are your best friend to avoid smelling like smoke
- Get creative and use wood pellet blends to make your taste
- Maintaining the fire is a chore. Stay on top of it.
These are only some of the tips that will help you get started. The learning curve can be daunting at first but it gets easier over time.
List of the Best Wood Pellets to Buy
The key to great pizza in a wood-fired oven is the fuel source. With the right wood pellets, you can make any pizza delicious.
Unfortunately, there are almost too many options to choose from. The good news is that we’ve narrowed down the options to the 15 best wood pellets to buy for pizza ovens.
One thing you want to make sure is that the pellets are made of 100% hardwood. A lot of pellets are made with filler woods that don’t add any flavor to the smoke they create.
We list our top picks below.
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1). Ooni Premium Hardwood Pellets
Ooni Premium Hardwood Pellets are some of the best you’ll find. Ooni is well-known for making pizza ovens and pizza oven accessories. For example, they stock pizza ovens like the Ooni Frya, which works great with these Pellets.
All that said, Ooni Premium Hardwood Pellets are made of 100% oak. Therefore, they’re hardwood pellets and burn at hot temperatures for a long time. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the smoke altering the flavor of your pizza.
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2). Weber Apple Wood Pellets
Weber has been in the backyard cooking business for over 70 years. They know a thing or two about cooking.
The apple wood pellets from Weber will give your pizza a unique flavor that’s a little on the sweet side.
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3). Traeger Grills Signature Blend
When you’re looking for a smoky flavor, it’s hard to beat Traeger Grills Signature Blend. These wood pellets are a combination of maple, hickory, and cherry wood. A combination of wood like this has the potential to add flavor to your pizza.
These wood pellets are also compatible with pizza ovens and Charcoal grills. Still, these pellets are best when used alongside a pizza stone – especially on the grill.
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4). Kingsford Signature Flavors Wood Pellets
Kingsford is a trusted name in cooking fuels. They have come up with something very unique to the wood pellet world. They have created a blend of wood with real spices.
This particular blend is hickory wood with garlic, onion, and paprika. You ought to give this a try at least once to have the experience.
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5). Z Grills 100% All-Natural Hardwood Oak Pellets
Z Grills 100% All-Natural Hardwood Oak Pellets are made with no additives. These natural pellets burn well and reach high temperatures with no problem. Furthermore, the lack of additives keeps smoke to a minimum and reduces ash buildup.
What makes this brand special, though, is its business model. Z Grills is based in the United States and uses locally sourced lumber. Additionally, customer service is second-to-none and guarantees satisfaction.
There are additional flavors to choose from as well.
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6). Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets
Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets are for people who love the smoky flavor. These wood pellets combine maple, cherry, and hickory wood to create a unique and smoky flavor.
Moving on, Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets are also eco-friendly and made in the United States. They don’t create too much ash either, which is surprising because of the wood types.
These pellets come in a 20-pound bag and they’re more affordable than many competitors.
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7). Kona Smoker Grilling Pellets
Kona is another company that’s known for making pizza-related products. Kona also specializes in making grill-related products, hence Kona grills and wood pellets. As for the pellets themselves, they’re made with oak wood.
The 100% oak blend makes these pellets ideal for cooking pizza. They won’t produce a lot of ash and won’t alter the flavor of your pizza.
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8). Fire & Flavor Premium All Natural Hardwood Pellets
Fire & Flavor pellets pack a punch. These are wood pellets designed for grilling and smoking meats. That said, they also work great for pellet stoves and pizza ovens.
These wood pellets are made with a blend of wood types. The bag included cherry, maple, and hickory wood pellets. These pellets create a combination that adds a smoky flavor to any meal.
In fact, the maple and cherry wood also add a sweet flavor to the pizza.
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9). Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets
Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets are special. It’s considered a gourmet blend because it includes several hardwoods that alter the flavor of meat and pizza. It includes pecan wood pellets and some other unique ones like alder.
These wood pellets also have unique features. The wood pellets have a low moisture content and don’t leave a lot of ash. Additionally, these pellets add smoky and sweet flavors to pizza.
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10). Oklahoma Joe’s Competition Blend
Oklahoma Joe’s Competition Blend is made for serious barbecues. However, it’s also perfect for serious pizza ovens like the Onni Karu. This blend of pellets creates a smoky flavor that’s hard to find elsewhere, especially for its price.
Within this wood pellet blend, you’ll find a lot of different pellets. There are maple, hickory, and even cherry pellets. When combined, the smoke creates a sweet and smoky flavor.
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11). Flame Genie FG-P20 Premium Wood Pellets
Flame Genie FG-P20 Premium Wood Pellets will help you make great pizza. In a wood-fired oven, these pellets reach high temperatures and have a low moisture content. Flame Genie FG-P20 Premium Wood Pellets are also useful for fire pits, charcoal grills, and Ooni pizza ovens.
With Flame Genie you get a 20-pound bag of additive-free pellets. There’s no glue, silicon, sulfur, or other chemicals. These wood pellets are also hardwood pellets but they won’t add much flavor to the pizza.
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12). Pit Boss Whiskey Barrel Blend Hardwood Pellets
Pit Boss Whiskey Barrel Blend Hardwood Pellets are made to provide a smoky flavor. When used to cook pizza, these pellets will alter the taste. Fortunately, these pellets alter the taste in a good way by adding subtle whiskey-like flavors.
These wood pellets are a blend of many types of wood like apple wood and cherry wood. Wood pellets like this are also great when used with a pizza stone on a charcoal grill. There are no additives like sulfur in these wood pellets.
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13). Smokehouse Products BBQ Pellets
Smokehouse Products knows how to manufacture high-quality wood pellets. All of the wood is sourced from the United States and there are plenty of options. You can choose from apple, alder, mesquite, cherry, and hickory wood.
With all of these flavor choices, you can customize your pizza night. You can get sweet flavors, smoky flavors, or even no additional flavors. These pellets also don’t have additives like special oils.
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14). CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix
CookinPellets stands out from many other wood pellet options. First and foremost, the bag is 40 pounds. While the bag is 40 pounds it costs the same as most 20-pound bags.
CookinPellets 40M Perfect Mix also contains more wood pellets than competitors. Wood pellets you’ll find include cherry, maple, apple, and hickory. These flavors create a sweet but smoky flavor for pizza, vegetables, and meats.
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15). Lousianna Grills Competition Blend
Louisiana Grills makes BBQ Smokers and pellets to go with them. The Competition Blend has a mix of maple, hickory and cherry.
This is another 40 pound bag at a very reasonable price. The mix of woods creates an interesting flavor profile for pizza.
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Enjoy this article? Check out some of our other articles:
- How To Choose the Best Wood for Ooni Pizza Ovens
- Wood Pellet Pizza Oven (Ultimate Beginner’s Guide)
- 10 Best Wood Fired Outdoor Pizza Ovens (2022 Review)
Courtney Rosero is a seasoned author at GoodLifePizzaOvens.com, where her passion for cooking blends seamlessly with her love for writing. With a sharp eye for detail and a palate tuned to culinary delights, Courtney plays a vital role in crafting captivating and informative content that resonates with pizza enthusiasts across the spectrum.
